Fluorocarbon resin composite, cookware, cooker, roller for office automation equipment, belt for office automation equipment, and method for producing them

Abstract

[Object] There are provided a fluorocarbon resin composite having improved abrasion resistance while nonadhesiveness, which is a feature of a fluorocarbon resin, is maintained, cookware, and a roller and a belt for use in office automation equipment. [Solving Means] A fluorocarbon resin composite includes a fluorocarbon resin layer on a base, in which a fluorocarbon resin constituting the fluorocarbon resin layer is crosslinked by electron beam irradiation, and the base has a desired shape obtained by machining. The fluorocarbon resin is composed of a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, or a mixture of the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer and polytetrafluoroethylene. A fluorocarbon resin composite, cookware, and a roller and a belt for use in office automation equipment are each produced by applying an uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin on a base, subjecting the fluorocarbon resin to electron beam irradiation in a low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin while the temperature of the fluorocarbon resin is maintained at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin, and machining the base into a desired shape. There is also provided methods for producing them.

1 . A fluorocarbon resin composite comprising a fluorocarbon resin layer on a base, wherein a fluorocarbon resin constituting the fluorocarbon resin layer is crosslinked by electron beam irradiation, and the base has a desired shape obtained by machining. 
     
     
         2 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin is composed of one selected from a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and a fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer, or a mixture of two or three compounds selected from the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and the fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer. 
     
     
         3 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 , wherein an electron beam during the electron beam irradiation reaches the base through the fluorocarbon resin layer. 
     
     
         4 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer has a thickness of 70 μm or less. 
     
     
         5 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the electron beam irradiation is in the range of 1 kGy to 500 kGy. 
     
     
         6 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 , wherein the base is composed of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel. 
     
     
         7 . The fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 6 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer is formed on the non-surface-treated base, and wherein in a cross-cut test (JIS-K-5400, 1998 edition), the fluorocarbon resin layer is not detached after 100 repetitions of a peeling operation using an adhesive tape. 
     
     
         8 . Cookware comprising the fluorocarbon resin composite according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . A cooker comprising the cookware according to  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a fluorocarbon resin composite comprising the steps of applying an uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin onto a base; heating the fluorocarbon resin to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin; subjecting the fluorocarbon resin to electron beam irradiation in a low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin; and machining the base in such a manner that the base has a desired shape. 
     
     
         11 . A roller or a belt for use in office automation equipment, comprising a fluorocarbon resin layer on a circular base, wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer is crosslinked by electron beam irradiation. 
     
     
         12 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer is composed of one selected from a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and a fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer, or a mixture of two or three compounds selected from the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and the fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer. 
     
     
         13 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein an electron beam during the electron beam irradiation reaches the circular base through the fluorocarbon resin layer. 
     
     
         14 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer has a thickness of 20 μm or less. 
     
     
         15 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein the amount of the electron beam irradiation is in the range of 1 kGy to 500 kGy. 
     
     
         16 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein the circular base is composed of a heat-resistant resin or a metal. 
     
     
         17 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer is formed on the non-surface-treated base, and wherein the fluorocarbon resin layer has an adhesive strength of 0.5 Kg/1.5 cm or more in a peeling test. 
     
     
         18 . The roller or the belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein an intermediate layer is formed between the circular base and the fluorocarbon resin layer. 
     
     
         19 . A method for producing a roller or a belt for use in office automation equipment, comprising the steps of applying an uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin onto a circular base; heating the fluorocarbon resin to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin; and subjecting the fluorocarbon resin to electron beam irradiation in a low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin. 
     
     
         20 . A method for producing a roller or a belt for use in office automation equipment, comprising the steps of placing a die (outlet) of an extruder in a low-oxygen atmosphere; extruding an uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin from the die of the extruder onto a circular base; and subjecting the fluorocarbon resin to electron beam irradiation in the low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin before the temperature of the fluorocarbon resin is decreased to a temperature equal to or lower than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin. 
     
     
         21 . The method for producing a roller or a belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 19 , further comprising after the uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin and then subjected to electron beam irradiation in a low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin, performing rapid cooling before the temperature of a layer located below the fluorocarbon resin reaches the decomposition temperature of the layer. 
     
     
         22 . The method for producing a roller or a belt for use in office automation equipment according to  claim 20 , further comprising after the uncrosslinked fluorocarbon resin is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the fluorocarbon resin and then subjected to electron beam irradiation in a low-oxygen atmosphere to crosslink the fluorocarbon resin, performing rapid cooling before the temperature of a layer located below the fluorocarbon resin reaches the decomposition temperature of the layer.